UCF doesn’t have much time to bask in the afterglow of beating No. 2 BYU. Scott Frost’s group has a short week, a Big 12 opponent waiting on Friday, and the added spotlight of the annual Space Game all landing at once.
That’s exactly why Frost is stressing the same message now that he did after the Knights’ stunning win: stay locked in.
“We’ve got to focus on the task at hand and it’s a big task,” said Frost. “It would be easy to think we’re better than we are, just like it was really easy for people to get down on us when we lost those close games.
“So the real challenge for me and the team is: Can we play with the same speed and intensity that we played with last week?”
The timing gives UCF plenty to juggle. The Knights are coming off a massive performance, but they also have to turn around quickly for Baylor, with Friday’s game doubling as the 10th anniversary of the Space Game. UCF will wear space-themed uniforms honoring the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions of the 1960s, and Frost is hoping the occasion draws a big crowd.
“There are so many neat aspects to UCF and where we came from and what we stand for are things that other schools don’t have,” he said. “Hopefully, this gets a packed bounce house for Friday night, and we need to show up and play really hard.”
On the field, the offense gave Frost plenty to praise after Saturday’s win, and he singled out offensive coordinator Steve Cooper for the work behind the scenes.
“Steve Cooper did an unbelievable job getting the offense ready,” said Frost. “It’s the best we’ve played on offense.”
UCF put up 39 points against BYU, the most in a Big 12 game since scoring 45 against West Virginia on Oct. 18, 2025. The Knights also rolled up 463 yards, their highest total against a conference opponent since piling up 578 against the Mountaineers.
Frost said he still calls the plays, but the game plan was largely Cooper’s project last week. The two work together on the weekly approach, but the short turnaround pushed more of that responsibility onto Cooper.
“He and I are one unit, and there’s always collaboration,” Frost said. “He did the majority of it on Saturday and he did an unbelievable job.”
Whether that becomes a bigger part of how UCF handles things going forward is still up in the air.
“We did it this week, knowing there’s a short week this week and having to get a jump start on Baylor,” he said. “But we played pretty dang well, so we’ll continue to talk about that week by week.”
The Knights are also sorting through what they’ll have available at tight end. Dylan Wade is still working back from injury, and Caden Piening and Grayson Brousseau have filled more of the load in the meantime.
Piening ranks third on the team with 17 catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Brousseau, a mid-year pickup from Oklahoma State, has scored in each of the last two games, including the game-winner against BYU in double overtime.
“Having multiple people that we feel good about playing in the game is not a problem,” said Frost. “That’s an added advantage.
Wade has made a ton of plays around here and we liked his approach last week. We expect more of that from him, but feel great about Caden and Grayson, too.”
Through seven games, UCF has targeted its tight ends 41 times, or 21% of the offense’s 193 pass attempts.
Injury news remains part of the conversation, too. UCF had seven players out last week, including running back Taevion Swint and linebacker Lewis Carter.
Swint was hurt in practice on what Frost called “a nothing play,” and the coach said the issue turned out to be an old injury.
“(Swint) got hurt on a nothing play in practice last week and it was just rough to see,” said Frost. “He was just slowing down and started limping.
We figured out that it was an old injury and he’ll be back quicker than we thought. We don’t know his status for this week.”
Carter has missed the last four games because of an undisclosed lower body injury, but Frost thinks the captain could be close.
“Lew’s getting really close. He’ll probably be a game-time on Friday,” Frost said. “I feel like with both of them, if we don’t have them this week, we’ll have them the next.”
There’s also a chance center Jacob Maiava returns after sitting out the past two games with a lower-body injury.
UCF enters Friday’s matchup at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 play, with Baylor also sitting at 4-3 and 2-2.
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For Baylor, the connection is mostly about the kind of coach the program could dream about if the right opportunity ever opened up. Riley has long been viewed as one of the sports most recognizable offensive minds, and insiders have pointed to previous interest as part of the reason his name keeps surfacing in Big 12 conversations. The immediate answer may come from USCs side, where the upcoming Ohio State game looms large and could shape how secure Riley feels in his current job. [Read more 🡒]